Organizational Efforts in Aviation Wildlife Mitigation – University Story

Wildlife strikes to aircraft in the USA have increased to over 35,000 per year, costing airlines millions of dollars in damage and general aviation/corporate aviation the lives of seven people in the last year. While various government programs are in place, the number and seriousness of bird strikes is not declining. Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, an accredited university which also offers flight training, has originated seven initiatives which serve to educate the aviation community regarding wildlife hazards, document the hazard, supplement the government’s efforts and reach out to the aviation community. These initiatives are fairly low cost and, for the most part, successful. These types of efforts could be easily adopted by other organizations, institutions, governments or concerned entities to help mitigate the wildlife hazard to aviation.